Zimbabwe should inspire the world

Zimbabwe's historic Test win over Pakistan, their first over the 1992 World Cup winners since 1998 will have many repercussions, some of them rather immediate.

For one, teams who now tour the African nation will think long and hard over what kind of squads they send. India, without some of their top players, including the enigmatic skipper MS Dhoni, steamrolled the Zimbabweans in a five-match series but a full-strength Pakistan not only lost an ODI but were also humiliated in a Test match.

The 24-run victory in Harare will taste sweet for so many reasons. Brendan Taylor's men were in a position of strength in the first Test, also played in Harare, before a sublime double century by Younis Khan took the game away from them. A lot of questions were asked. Were Zimbabwe good enough to win Test matches over more superior opposition? Did they have the basic skills needed to upstage the best in world cricket? Was their stunning win in the first ODI a mere fluke? All of those speculations were laid to rest as Rahat Ali in a desperate bid to get his captain Mishah-ul-Haq on strike for the next over left the non-striker's crease in a moment of harakiri, never to make it back again.

Zimbabwe had finally shown more than just promise. They delivered under pressure.

The series tally at the end of the second and final Test match read 1-1. The significance of this scoreline will be felt in the time to come, in the years when a seriously cash-strapped Zimbabwean cricket system continues its struggles to survive among the big boys and it will be felt when many kids from the backwaters of the country try to emulate their heroes and strive to achieve greater glories.

Not long back, it was easy to feel sorry for Zimbabwe's cricketers, who had to make trips to the cricket ground for their meals even as their much richer colleagues from India lived like kings at the same team hotel. It was easy to sympathise with the talented Taylor, Zimbabwe's captain and best batsman, whose annual pay pack paled in comparison to even the newest Indian kid on the block. Now, the cricket world must sit up and take notice and do more than just feel sorry. They may not be expected to help ZCA financially but they must send stronger teams more regularly to ensure that the Zimbabwean board makes enough revenues that would enable them to break free from the mire they find themselves in at the moment.

Zimbabwe's victory was heroic. From an aggravated players' body threatening to boycott the series against Pakistan for non payment of salaries to a team finally finishing as equals, it was quite a journey. Some of the key members of the squad had decided enough was enough and they would not take the field against the visitors from the sub-continent before Peter Chingoka stepped in and promised to pay them their dues and pleaded with his men to go out there on the field and play.

What inspired Zimbabwe to this feat then? A lot of the credit has to go to coach Andy Waller, who was seen furiously taking notes as he sat in long discussions with the Indian support staff. He had asked his players to learn from the likes of Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan and see how they applied themselves in the middle and it looked like his wards paid close attention. Also revealing was Taylor's contribution against Pakistan. While he was all at sea versus the Indian attack, the skipper pulled his socks up this time and with two half-centuries in the Test series, made a big difference to an otherwise inexperienced middle order.

The way Zimbabwe's young bowlers stepped up after Kyle Jarvis' sudden retirement must have pleased the team management. Chatara, Vitori and Panyangara were brilliant and consistently troubled the Pakistani batsmen, who lacked discipline.

Much has been made of Australia's transition after their greats retired to make way for a new era. Years after Warne, Hayden, Gilchrist, McGrath and Langer bowed out and months after Ponting and Hussey's exit, the erstwhile world beaters continue to struggle in the longest format of the game. Maybe Zimbabwe's historic heist will serve Australia and maybe even the West Indies with an inspiration. Nothing is impossible.